Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-07-08
THE CURE OF ClCUGNAN

try and tranScr!be for NOu hy ahrldGlng IL
little ParisianS. hold out your baskets.
Ii is with the finest provincial meal -four
that you are going to Ike served this time.
The Abbot Martin WIS cure of CucuC
nan Excellent a. bread sterling as
gold. he loved his Cucugnauar,is with
patcrnal devotion; for him his tuCugnan
would have been IA paradise upon earth. if
only the Cucugnanaris had given him a
little more satisfaction. But, alas, spiders
spun their webs IA his confessional, and,
on fair yesterday, the holy waters lay
untouched IA the pyN. The good priest
was heartbrukcn about ii, and WAS always
asking grace If God that he might not die
until hc had led back to the fold his scat
tered flock
Now, you shall hear how his prayer
was heard one Sunday, after tn. gospel,
NJ. Martin asccnded the pulpit.
MY brethren, said he. 'helieve me or
not, as You viii; the other night found
myself, miserable sinner that am, at the
gale of paradise.
Il Knocked st, Peter opened 10 me.
"'Aha, Is it you. my good NJ. Martin"
said he Ia me. What good wind blows
You hithcrS What can do for ynu,'
Good st. Peter, you who hold the
great book and the key, could You tell me
II am not too curious-how many Gu
Cugnanards You have in paradise
4 can refuse nothing TO you, NJ. Mar
tin: sit down. and let lis look into the
matter together
And St Peter took up his great book,
opened it, and put on his spectacles.
let us see; Cucucnan, did You say
Cu-Cu-Cucuguan. All, here We are
Cucugnan. Why, my dear NJ. Martin,
the page is perfect blank. Not soul
upon it. There are no more Cucugnan-
ards here than there are iShbones in Il
turkey hen
What. No one here from CucuGnan'
Not one? II is impossible! Look again,
please.
Not one. holy sir Look for yourself,
if You think | am joking.
Woe is me- | stamped my feet, and
with clasped hands cried for pity.
Then said ST Peter: Really, NJ. Mar
tin, you must not distress yourself in this
fashion, or you will bring on a serious fit
Of apopexy. After all, it is not your
fault. Your Cucugnanar,is, do you see,
are surely undergoing little quarantine
in purgatory.'
"'Ah, i'll the maine Of charity, mighty
st. Peter, enable me at least To see them,
TO see and TO console theSnV
Willingly, my friend Stay, Whip
on these shoes. the roads ore not over
good. There, that will do nicely. Now
walk away, walk away straight before
YOU. Do you see youder. down there at
the turning You will find there a silver
door studded all over with black crosses
10 the right hand side. You will knock
and they will open 10 you. Tatai Take
care of yourself and keep up your spirits. >
And | walked and walked on and on
What hunt it was, i feel all goose flesh
only to think of it, A little footpath full
OF brambiCs, blazing carbuncles and hiss
ing serpents led me to the silver door
Tap, Tap!
"'Who knocks called out to me q
hoarse and mournful voice.
's'The cure of Cucugnan.'
"'Ofy-
"'Of CucuGnan.'
"tAh! Come in
'f entered. \ grand angel, with wings
as somber a. night, clad in robe as bril-
liant as day, with diamond key hanging
from his Cirdle. was writing-scratch,
sCratsh-in n huge book, much larger than
that Of 81. Peter.
" Now, then: what is it you want:' OBJ
served the angel.
e. Beautiful angel of God, wish 10
know am very curious, perhaps-if you
have here the CucugnsnaTls,'
- The -
The Cucugaanards-the people of
Clcugnsn; because it is who am their
prior.
"'Ah! The Abbot Martin, is it notf'
"'At your service, NJ. Angel
"'You said Cucugnan, didn't YOU
And the angel opened his book and ran
through the pages, wetting his finger in
order to better turn over the leaves.
" "'Cucugnan, said he, as he heayed a
deep sigh. NJ. Martin, we have in pur-
gatory no one from Cucugnan.'
".Jesu, Marie, Joseph! 10 one from
Cucugnan in purcatory! Oh, great God
where are they then:'
"'Ehi holy man, why they are in para
disc, Where the deuce else would you
have them be''
But come from it-from paradise
"'You come from it, Wells
"'Well, They are not there! All.
blessed mother of angels'
What would You have, NJ. Cures If
they are neither in paradise nor yet in
purgatory there is no other alternative
they are in
Holy cross, Jesu. son of David. Woe,
woe woe is il possible, Could il he a
falsehood of the great St. Peter, Yet |
did not hear the cock crow, Woe is ME,
How could 90 to paradise if my Cucug-
nanards We're not there, too;'
Listen 10 me, my poor NJ. Martin
Since yOu wish al any cost to be assured
of all this and TO see with your own eyes
how the matter stands take this fOotpath
and run along tiff you know how 10
run. You will find TO the left great
gateway. There they will give you all in
formation. God grant it you,'
"And the angel shut the door.
at was long footpath, all paved with
red embCrs. | staggered a. if was drunk
at each step | stumbled; ] was bathed in
perSpiratiou-every hair on my body had
lis separate drop OF swaziland | painted
with thirst But truly-thanks 10 the
sandals which the good -. Peter had len;
me- did not burn my feet.
"Whcu | had hobblcd al0IS some way
I saw 10 my left hand Il Goor--Io, gat,
way-nn enormous gateway yawntng
open. Ike the mouth Of II vast furnace.
Oh, my children, what u sight! There no
one asked for my name; there was no reg
ister. 1t is in patches. aud through the
wide open door. that one enters there my
brethren; just as on Sunday you 20 troop
ing into the wine Shops.
Il swCalcd great drops, and yet | was
bcnumO,d, | >hiN My hair stood on
end. | smelt the burning Of roast
he,h, something like the smell
which spreads about in our Gu
Cugnan when Eloy, the blacksmith,
burns the hoof of an old donkey while
'hoeing linn. was stiiied in this stink
ing. burning atmosphere; heard hor
rible Clamor-groanings, yellings and
Well art thou coming in, or art thou
not' said horned demon 10 me as he
prodded me with his fork
-? | am not coming in am
friend of Godr
Thou friend of God, Thou Scurvy
old rascal! What art thou doing here,
then"
Il come-ah! 30 not speak Of it: can
hardly keep myself up-I come-from far
-humbly TO ask you--if by any chance